Print Page Options

The One True God

115 To you alone, O Lord, to you alone,
    and not to us, must glory be given
    because of your constant love and faithfulness.

Why should the nations ask us,
    “Where is your God?”
Our God is in heaven;
    he does whatever he wishes.
(A)Their gods are made of silver and gold,
    formed by human hands.
They have mouths, but cannot speak,
    and eyes, but cannot see.
They have ears, but cannot hear,
    and noses, but cannot smell.
They have hands, but cannot feel,
    and feet, but cannot walk;
    they cannot make a sound.
May all who made them and who trust in them
    become[a] like the idols they have made.

Trust in the Lord, you people of Israel.
    He helps you and protects you.
10 Trust in the Lord, you priests of God.
    He helps you and protects you.
11 Trust in the Lord, all you that worship him.
    He helps you and protects you.

12 The Lord remembers us and will bless us;
    he will bless the people of Israel
    and all the priests of God.
13 (B)He will bless everyone who honors him,
    the great and the small alike.

14 May the Lord give you children—
    you and your descendants!
15 May you be blessed by the Lord,
    who made heaven and earth!

16 Heaven belongs to the Lord alone,
    but he gave the earth to us humans.
17 The Lord is not praised by the dead,
    by any who go down to the land of silence.[b]
18 But we, the living, will give thanks to him
    now and forever.

Praise the Lord!

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 115:8 May all … become; or All who made them and who trust in them will become.
  2. Psalm 115:17 The world of the dead (see 6.5).

Psalm 115

The Impotence of Idols and the Greatness of God

[a]Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory,
    for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness.(A)
Why should the nations say,
    “Where is their God?”(B)

Our God is in the heavens;
    he does whatever he pleases.(C)
Their idols are silver and gold,
    the work of human hands.(D)
They have mouths, but they do not speak;
    they have eyes, but they do not see.
They have ears, but they do not hear;
    they have noses, but they do not smell.
They have hands, but they do not feel;
    they have feet, but they do not walk;
    they make no sound in their throats.
Those who make them are like them;
    so are all who trust in them.(E)

O Israel, trust in the Lord!
    He is their help and their shield.(F)
10 O house of Aaron, trust in the Lord!
    He is their help and their shield.
11 You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord!
    He is their help and their shield.(G)

12 The Lord has been mindful of us; he will bless us;
    he will bless the house of Israel;
    he will bless the house of Aaron;
13 he will bless those who fear the Lord,
    both small and great.

14 May the Lord give you increase,
    both you and your children.(H)
15 May you be blessed by the Lord,
    who made heaven and earth.(I)

16 The heavens are the Lord’s heavens,
    but the earth he has given to human beings.(J)
17 The dead do not praise the Lord,
    nor do any who go down into silence.(K)
18 But we will bless the Lord
    from this time on and forevermore.
Praise the Lord!(L)

Footnotes

  1. 115.1 Psalms 114–115 are a single psalm in the earliest witnesses

115 Not to us, Adonai, not to us,
but to your name give glory,
because of your grace and truth.

Why should the nations ask,
“Where is their God?”
Our God is in heaven;
he does whatever pleases him.
Their idols are mere silver and gold,
made by human hands.
They have mouths, but they can’t speak;
they have eyes, but they can’t see;
they have ears, but they can’t hear;
they have noses, but they can’t smell;
they have hands, but they can’t feel;
they have feet, but they can’t walk;
with their throats they can’t make a sound.
The people who make them will become like them,
along with everyone who trusts in them.

Isra’el, trust in Adonai!
He is their help and shield.
10 House of Aharon, trust in Adonai!
He is their help and shield.
11 You who fear Adonai, trust in Adonai!
He is their help and shield.
12 Adonai has kept us in mind,
and he will bless.
He will bless the house of Isra’el;
he will bless the house of Aharon;
13 he will bless those who fear Adonai,
great and small alike.

14 May Adonai increase your numbers,
both yours and those of your children.
15 May you be blessed by Adonai,
the maker of heaven and earth.
16 Heaven belongs to Adonai,
but the earth he has given to humankind.

17 The dead can’t praise Adonai,
not those who sink down into silence.
18 But we will bless Adonai
from now on and forever.

Halleluyah!

115 1-2 Not for our sake, God, no, not for our sake,
    but for your name’s sake, show your glory.
Do it on account of your merciful love,
    do it on account of your faithful ways.
Do it so none of the nations can say,
    “Where now, oh where is their God?”

3-8 Our God is in heaven
    doing whatever he wants to do.
Their gods are metal and wood,
    handmade in a basement shop:
Carved mouths that can’t talk,
    painted eyes that can’t see,
Tin ears that can’t hear,
    molded noses that can’t smell,
Hands that can’t grasp, feet that can’t walk or run,
    throats that never utter a sound.
Those who make them have become just like them,
    have become just like the gods they trust.

9-11 But you, Israel: put your trust in God!
    —trust your Helper! trust your Ruler!
Clan of Aaron, trust in God!
    —trust your Helper! trust your Ruler!
You who fear God, trust in God!
    —trust your Helper! trust your Ruler!

12-16 O God, remember us and bless us,
    bless the families of Israel and Aaron.
And let God bless all who fear God
    bless the small, bless the great.
Oh, let God enlarge your families—
    giving growth to you, growth to your children.
May you be blessed by God,
    by God, who made heaven and earth.
The heaven of heavens is for God,
    but he put us in charge of the earth.

17-18 Dead people can’t praise God
    not a word to be heard from those buried in the ground.
But we bless God, oh yes—
    we bless him now, we bless him always!
Hallelujah!

Psalm 115(A)

Not to us, Lord, not to us
    but to your name be the glory,(B)
    because of your love and faithfulness.(C)

Why do the nations say,
    “Where is their God?”(D)
Our God is in heaven;(E)
    he does whatever pleases him.(F)
But their idols are silver and gold,(G)
    made by human hands.(H)
They have mouths, but cannot speak,(I)
    eyes, but cannot see.
They have ears, but cannot hear,
    noses, but cannot smell.
They have hands, but cannot feel,
    feet, but cannot walk,
    nor can they utter a sound with their throats.
Those who make them will be like them,
    and so will all who trust in them.

All you Israelites, trust(J) in the Lord
    he is their help and shield.
10 House of Aaron,(K) trust in the Lord
    he is their help and shield.
11 You who fear him,(L) trust in the Lord
    he is their help and shield.

12 The Lord remembers(M) us and will bless us:(N)
    He will bless his people Israel,
    he will bless the house of Aaron,
13 he will bless those who fear(O) the Lord
    small and great alike.

14 May the Lord cause you to flourish,(P)
    both you and your children.
15 May you be blessed by the Lord,
    the Maker of heaven(Q) and earth.

16 The highest heavens belong to the Lord,(R)
    but the earth he has given(S) to mankind.
17 It is not the dead(T) who praise the Lord,
    those who go down to the place of silence;
18 it is we who extol the Lord,(U)
    both now and forevermore.(V)

Praise the Lord.[a](W)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 115:18 Hebrew Hallelu Yah